Japan is fortunate enough to have a history of cinema that spans over one hundred years. In that time, Japan has developed one of the most thriving movie industries in the world. This is the same nation that’s gifted us films like Seven Samurai, the original Godzilla, and Spirited Away. In part due to globalization, Japanese cinema delivers a diverse array of genres.
But between Japan and America, which one makes the better horror movies? That’s not easy to answer. For argument’s sake, though, let’s look at five great Japanese horror films. And then, five American-made, similarly themed ones that are better in some regard or another.
Japan: Yellow Fangs (1990)
Based on a true story, a Japanese mountain village is under siege by a vicious bear named Red Spot. In 1915, the beast kills the village’s men and abducts the women, whom he saves for a midnight meal. When one woman’s father and brothers are slain during one attack, she sets out to destroy Red Spot.
In Japan, this horror drama is known as Remains: Utsukushiki yūsha-tachi, or Remains: Beautiful Heroes. Its international title, however, is simply Yellow Fangs. This historical actioner was Sonny Chiba’s directorial debut as well as one of his only films where he doubled as an actor and director. It’s heavy on character development, especially with its female lead. The glaring downsides are the pacing and the dubious-looking bear sequences.
America: The Edge (1997)
During a trip to Alaska, a wealthy man butts heads with a younger colleague, whom he thinks is having an affair with his wife. When the two men’s plane crashes in the wilderness, they and their peers are stalked by a hungry Kodiak bear. Now, it’s a test of survival in more ways than one.
The Edge is thoroughly entertaining if not predictable. One doesn’t have to be smarter than the average bear to guess what happens in the end. However, Alec Baldwin and Anthony Hopkins are perfectly cast in this cat-and-mouse (and bear) thriller. At some point, their chemistry will make you forget there even is a bear.
Japan: Séance (2000)
A wife trying to validate her psychic ability conceives a horrible plan with her husband. The woman helps the police search for an abducted child, who eventually ends up in the couple’s care. Rather than telling the police, they keep the girl’s return a secret so that the wife can gradually lead the cops to her. Their scheme fails, though, when the child dies. And now, the couple is haunted by the ghost.
Kiyoshi Kurosawa directed this lesser-known TV-movie, which is known as Kōrei in Japan. It’s both a quiet and disquieting film. Séance is so subtle that it effectively creeps under your skin without trying too hard.
America: Stir of Echoes (1999)
A working-class husband and father allows his sister-in-law to hypnotize him. In doing so, she triggers his dormant psychic abilities. The man’s son also shares in his gift, which is a sort of “second sight.” The father is so hindered by this development that he stops going to work, and he obsesses over unexplained visions of a teenager who went missing in their neighborhood.
Kevin Bacon gives a career-best performance in this underrated, supernatural knockout from 1999. Based on the late and great Richard Matheson’s book A Stir of Echoes, the film adaptation is a touching spook tale that got lost in The Sixth Sense’s shadow.
Japan: Scarecrow (2001)
A woman in search of her missing brother receives a letter from his girlfriend. It’s addressed from a small, rural village. When the sister visits the place, she notices an abundance of scarecrows. It appears the village is in the midst of an annual celebration. Eventually, the sister’s investigation leads her to a disturbing discovery.
Scarecrow — or Kakashi — is one of Junji Itō’s more obscure stories. The film adaptation was directed by Norio Tsuruta, who is known for other horror offerings like Ring 0: Birthday and Premonition. While Scarecrow never becomes the all-out creature feature some viewers might want it to be, it’s an engrossing and creepy mystery.
America: Dead Birds (2004)
After robbing a bank, a group of American Civil War deserters hide out in an abandoned plantation house. Or so they thought it was abandoned. There, they find a dead man posed in the field like a scarecrow. Then, a horrible creature attacks them. This plantation has a terrifying history that continues to haunt those who dare enter it.
Dead Birds is a period horror that might not make any sense the first time around. On additional viewings, the pieces of the puzzle fit much better. If you can forgive its flaws, Dead Birds is a hidden gem in the sub-genre of cosmic horror.
Japan: Parasite Eve (1997)
When Toshiaki’s wife Kiyomi is declared dead following a car accident, he plans to bring her back to life. To do so, he needs to salvage her liver. Toshiaki’s assistant Sachiko is then attacked by something inside of Kiyomi’s body. Before long, Sachiko is transformed into Kiyomi, and she will create a new species that will exterminate the human race.
Before the first Parasite Eve video game was released in 1998, Hideaki Sena’s novel was turned into a live-action movie. As impressive as some of the visual effects are, the 1997 film is the epitome of a slow burn. That quibble notwithstanding, there’s a great reward for your patience.
America: Mimic (1997)
Cockroaches were making the children of Manhattan sick. So, scientists engineered a new species of insect — the Judas breed — to wipe the roaches out. Three years later, the Judas have evolved into something else. Something that can imitate its only competition on the food chain — humans.
Guillermo del Toro’s English-language debut was based on a short story by Donald A. Wollheim. Mimic was an estimable start to del Toro’s most illustrious filmography. He takes familiar ideas and tropes and then remixes them in an exciting new way. However, it should be known del Toro did not approve the version of Mimic that reached theaters. If you want to see what he originally envisioned, be sure to check out his director’s cut.
Pyrokinesis (2000)
Born with the power of pyrokinesis, Junko can create and manipulate fire. She wouldn’t harm a soul with it until the day her sister was killed. The man responsible for her sister’s death isn’t punished. Which leaves Junko to avenge her.
Shusuke Kaneko — the director of the ’90s Gamera trilogy and Godzilla, Mothra and King Ghidorah: Giant Monsters All-Out Attack — superbly tackles anti-superheroisms in this 2000 revenge flick. Pyrokinesis (Crossfire in Japan) doesn’t move at a brisk pace, and it injects more drama than action. Yet when the fire is stoked, this movie blazes.
Firestarter (1984)
Because her parents were the subjects of experimental medical tests, Charlie now exhibits the power to set things on fire with only her mind. Her father then does everything in his capacity to protect her from the government.
Stephen King’s Firestarter doesn’t get nearly the same acclaim as his other early works — novel or otherwise — but the story is a testament to his ability to meld multiple genres. The film was panned back then by critics and the author himself, but audiences have certainly come around to this poignant adaptation.
